Past Imperfect
by angeldevotee
Summary: Willow has just flayed Warren and almost destroyed the world. She stays with Angel until she gets a wonderful, awful idea to change her life by doing a time travel spell. She travels back to season 2 to right some of her wrongs.
1. Default Chapter

1**Title:**Past Imperfect

**Pairing: **Willow/Angel, Willow/Angelus

**Rating:** R (for now)

**Setting:** Post S6 BtVS, post S4 AtS.

**Description: **Willow decided to right some of her wrongs by doing a time travel spell. Problem is, altering time is a tricky business and not everything goes according to plan. Willow travels back to S2 BtVS with some unexpected consquences.

Angel was certain that he'd never seen Willow look so fragile. Not that he had spent a great deal of time contemplating the young redhead but he knew pain when he saw it. Willow was in some serious pain. She was curled up an arm chair in her suite. Her face was pale and devoid of any make-up. Her eyes looked tired and ineffably old for her young face. She looked hollowed out. Empty.

When Rupert Giles had called and asked if Willow could stay with him until they could safely transport her to England, he'd been in a state of disbelief at what she'd done. Rupert had calmly laid out the entirety of what Willow had done in his no-nonsense Watcher way while Angel could only listen. He'd had an easier time believing Xander had gone ballistic and taken out a church group. Or that Giles had lost his mind and started hacking rude people to death. He couldn't reconcile his memories of the sweet, innocent, afraid-of-her-own-shadow Willow with the notion that she was power-crazed killer witch.

And he'd thought his last few months had been rough. Suddenly, being attacked by his human offspring who'd wanted to shove him into a lock box on the bottom of the ocean and losing the woman he loved to the Powers That Be seemed like a picnic. Angel suppressed a pang at the thought. He hadn't seen his son in quite a while but he supposed the boy was working out his own issues. And, truthfully, Angel's problems with his father had ended in the old man's death. Maybe he and Connor would be all right...at least they were both alive at this point.

As for Cordelia, he knew that he had lost her forever. He'd used the Axis of Pythia to determine her location but learned that getting her back was impossible. Angel was beginning to wonder if he was being made to pay for sowing his wild oats back in the day. He'd lost both women he'd loved. It would be much easier if they'd broken up with big fights, big drama, and big hatred. Unfortunately, it was the pining sort of love that never really left.

Angel knocked on the open door and Willow's body tensed and her eyes flew to his. It was obvious she was lost in her own thoughts and hadn't even been aware of his presence. He held up the cup of tea he held in his hands. "Here. You need to drink something at least." Fred had tried to bring her a donut this morning but Willow had refused, stating that she wasn't hungry. He passed it to her and took a seat in the opposing chair.

"Thank you," she said tonelessly, reaching a pale hand out for the cup. But she didn't drink it, she just held it in her hands and looked into it as if the answers to life itself were hidden in the cup.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Angel asked.

Her expression plainly said that she'd rather spend the time scrubbing the hotel lobby with her toothbrush. "I guess so." Her eyes focused on the carpet.

Angel recognized the shame she felt. He, too, had avoided anyone's gaze once upon a time. He supposed it was only natural. Eyes are the gateway to a person's true self, their soul. Angel gently reached out and placed a single finger under her chin, raising it so she was forced to meet his eyes. "You can tell me anything."

Willow took in a shaky breath. "I-I know that. I'm a horrible person, Angel. I don't deserve to live." Tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"If you don't deserve to live, than neither do I," Angel said absently wiping her tears away before he withdrew his hand. Angel recognized all to well, the beginnings of a brood. He'd spent a hundred years wallowing in what he'd done. In that time, he could have been helping people, making a difference instead of drinking rat's blood and not bathing. Brooding about your sins was really a selfish act and he wasn't about to let Willow fall into that trap.

Her eyes rounded. "Oh no! But you've done so much good! And you help people and you've been trying to redeem yourself and–"

"Taking a human life is a serious thing, Willow, and I don't want to diminish the importance of that. The reality is that I can never truly make up for everything I've done. You killed one person, Willow, but I've killed thousands and I'm still here. Don't you deserve the chance to make it right?"

"I tried to destroy the world," Willow added mournfully.

"Me too," Angel admitted. "But you didn't and neither did I."

"Angel, I also said some pretty horrible things to everyone I care about. What if they don't forgive me?"

"They might not," Angel said honestly. He didn't want to sugar coat any of this cold truth. "But that is something you'll have to deal with."

Willow nodded. "What should I do?"

"Go with Rupert. Hopefully, between him and the coven, you'll learn how to control your magic."

"I never should have started playing with magic in the first place. It's brought me nothing but trouble," Willow said bitterly.

"You'll have to learn how to control it. It's part of you now. It's not like you can change the past."

"Mmm," Willow said absently, her mind whirling.

He'd seen her look like this before in countless Scooby meetings. It was the look she got just before she came up with a solution to one of their problems. "Well, I"m going to let you get some rest. I'll be up if you feel like talking tonight, okay?" Angel said, standing.

"Okay." Willow set down her tea. "Angel, thanks for the talk. It was very helpful."

Angel paused at the door. "You're welcome."

Willow looked over her shoulder as she crept down the stairs. Angel had gone to Chinatown to deal with a Yuce demo who seemed to have a fondness for fortune cookies and people's eyeballs. Fred and Gunn were in their room watching television. Wesley was nowhere to be seen and no one seemed to be eager to discuss the subject. This was her chance.

Willow crossed the lobby and gained access to the office where the books lived. Hopefully, Wesley would have the book she was looking for in his collection. Time travel spells were a big no-no in the magical realm but that didn't mean those types of spells didn't exist. Willow understood the principle behind them and had no intention of making any large changes.

Predictably, Wesley owned "The Fourth Dimension" which was a large reference volume on the subject of time travel spells. She quickly searched the index and picked the appropriate spell, Changez Temps. It allowed for a small alteration to be made in a time line and was supposed to have the bare minimum impact. "Perfect."

Willow quickly went to the desktop computer and accessed the Watcher's Database. The council had recently gone digital. She quickly typed in Giles' pass code. Giles had given it to her last year stating that he refused to "click away on the metal monstrosity". He expected her to correspond with other Watcher's via email and access any information that they needed. Predictably, the English translation of the spell popped onto the scream along with a little proviso stating that it wasn't to be used, etc. Willow quickly ignored it and scribbled down the information. All that was needed was a couple of lizard skins, some juniper berries, some thyme, and voila! Willow quickly pulled the ingredients from the cupboard and placed them in a small wicker basket she'd found by the door.

"No time like the present," Willow joked to herself. She went out into the garden. Willow thought she'd have a better chance performing the spell outside where she could pull energy from the earth. She slipped her sneakers and socks off and let her feet luxuriate in the feel of the soft grass before she assembled the ingredients on the cement bench. She pulled a few strands of hair from her head, wincing slightly at the pain. Then, she painted them with a crushed juniper berry. She wrapped the lizard skin and dried thyme with the hair and began to chant. "Take me to past and make the changes I make last. I will do no harm, simply alter a small yarn. Take me to the past and make the changes I make last. I will do no harm, simply alter a small yarn"

Willow felt the world spin around her. She closed her eyes to stop herself from becoming dizzy. She rocked from side to side with the motion. Suddenly, she felt like she was being thrown as though someone picked her up and tossed her across a field.

"Ow!" Willow rubbed her head as she collided with a...bookshelf? Willow peered up at the towering book cases on either side of her.

"Willow? Any luck?" Giles appeared a the end of row of bookcases. He had a Watcher's diary in his hand.

"W-what?" Willow said, straightening up and scrambling to her feet. She looked down and was amazed to see that she was wearing a lime green skirt and orange tights. Willow hadn't worn an outfit that outrageous since...highschool "Oh! I did it!" She looked around. Yep, she was in the library standing in front of a very tweedy Giles.

"You did?" Giles asked. "You found out more about Drusilla?"

"Huh? Um, no. Something else...researchy. I'm just so..." Willow reached over and hugged the stunned Watcher. "This is great. Everything is going to be great, Giles. Don't worry!"

_What do you think? Is it worth continuing? I'm planning on having Willow try to stop Angel and Buffy from shagging. Then, Miss Calender won't die and Willow won't have to perform the soul restoration spell which leads her on her path to magical destruction. Of course, you know what they say about the best laid plans._

Feedback is always appreciated!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:Past Imperfect **

**Pairing: Willow/Angel, Willow/Angelus**

**Rating:** R (for now)

**Setting:** Post S6 BtVS, post S4 AtS.

**Description: Willow decided to right some of her wrongs by doing a time travel spell. Problem is, altering time is a tricky business and not everything goes according to plan. **

**Notice:It all belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy. No profit here.**

Giles had been confused about her behavior earlier but chalked it up to being a teenager with a sugar rush. He'd since gone back into research mode. She peeked around the corner and saw Giles sitting at the table with a pile of books, lost in his own thoughts. He was still looking for information on Drusilla. It was all she could do not to run over to the right book and hand it to him. But, she had to be careful to not let the others know she was different. And Giles would be the most difficult of all because he knew just about everything about everything.

No wonder she'd used to have a crush on the man. Not only was he was intelligent, kind, and handsome in a mature man way – he was cultured. Willow had always been a braniac. While Buffy and Xander considered him "stuffy" and "proper", she'd found him sophisticated and exotic. He'd also appealed to her lack of romantic finesse because Giles was "safe" and nothing would ever happen between them. The fluking with Xander had been much the same deal. She'd built him up in her mind only to find out it hadn't been everything it was cracked up to be. Oz had been the real deal.

Oz! She was going to get to see him. She couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. It had been ages and she was really looking forward to it. In fact, she was looking forward to exploring her old life. The reality she'd been living in lately left much to be desired. Willow drifted through the countless rows, running her fingers over the edges of the bookcases. She missed the old library. It really was a shame they had to blow it up. She had some fond memories of this place and she was really taking a walk down memory lane. She still couldn't believe that she pulled it off. It was quite an amazing feat, even for a witch as powerful as she was. Truthfully, she still had a bit of a rush from it. Hike

"Wills, you in here? Come on, its time for gym," Buffy called, walking into the library.

This was one thing she didn't like about highschool. She poked her head out. "Gym? B-but I don't need to exercise. I walked to school this morning." At least, Willow thought she did. She usually did.

"Tell me about it," Buffy said with a grin."I spent my nights hiking around Sunnydale having fights to the death with the undead. I hardly thing forty-five minutes of volleyball is necessary." She turned pleading eyes on her Watcher. "Can't you write me a get-out-of-gym-free note? You could make up something...like you needed help cataloging books."

"You don't actually read any books so you couldn't possibly catalogue them," Giles said, not even glancing up.

"I read stuff all the time! Just this morning, I was reading'Vogue'!"

"Buffy, I hardly think that information about lipstick and shoes is literature." He pushed his glasses back on his nose and continued reading.

"What about me? I could catalog! I read books all the time," Willow said eagerly as she went down the stairs. "Besides, don't you want me to get you the dirt on that Drusilla girl?"

"Go to the gymnasium. Both of you. I shall research on my own, thank you," Giles said in his no-nonsense tone.

"Come on, Wills, we've been dismissed," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.

Willow walked out the door behind the Slayer. "S-soo, Buffy, how have you been?" They continued on down the hall, in no hurry to go to gym class.

Buffy's brow furrowed. "Fine. Just as fine as when you asked me this morning."

"Just making sure. A lot can happen in a day. Um, do you have plans for tonight?"

"Yeah, Giles wants to me to protect the blood shipment coming in." She frowned. "I'm the blood bodyguard, how gross is that?"

"Pretty darn," Willow agreed. "And how are you doing with the whole Ford thing?" She took a mental guess as to what time frame she was in her junior year.

Buffy's face became impassive.

Willow's heart twisted a little. Even then, Buffy was learning to pull away from them when she was in pain. How could she not have noticed it.

"Fine," she said in a clipped tone. It was the Slayer talking, not her best friend Buffy.

"Well, good. Um, do you want some company tonight? I don't know how much slayage I can provide but I'm definitely moral support gal."

Buffy broke into a real smile, the awkwardness fading. "You're on. And how about a Bronze run whenever we've finished. Even bodyguards need sustenance."

Willow mentally calculated all the events going on in her mind. Seeing the policewoman pass them in the hall confirmed it. If she was right, Giles was about to be notified that his friend had died. Eyghon had come to town.

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked with a frown. "He should have been here twenty minutes ago!"

"He probably got lost in his work. Or, er, maybe Miss Calender stopped by and smoochies ensued."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "We both know that Giles was born with a watch in his hand. He's _never_ late. Something's wrong."

"Well, we'll take care of the vamps, if there are any and then go see. Wanna play a game of anywhere but here?" Willow offered to distract the Slayer as she pulled Buffy back into the shadows where they were hiding.

"Sure," she agreed, scanning the parking lot once more before turning her attention to the redhead. "I'll start. I'm visiting my dad in L.A. and he gives me his credit card and let's me go loose on Rodeo. While I'm looking in the window at a pair of strappy sandals, I see Brad Pitt standing behind me."

"Ooh! Good one. Shopping and star power."

Willow doubted this is the time she should tell Buffy she had some sweaty naughty feelings for women. Instead, she went for a convincing lie. "Okay, I'm taking a little holiday trip to France. And I'm on the Eiffel Tower, looking down on Paris which is all lit up. I turn around and bump into Johnny Depp who shares and elevator down to the bottom with me."

"The calvary is here and in the form of cute doctors," Buffy observed, watching the young men take the blood shipment from the Red Cross van.

"Um, Buffy? Wouldn't that be an orderly's job or a–"

"My thoughts, exactly." As soon as the doctors took the shipment of blood and the van took off, a car emerged from the shadows. A car driven by a vamp. "C'mon, Wills, it's time for my daily workout."

Buffy rushed headlong into the vampires, pulling a stake from her back pocket. Willow was right behind her, armed with a stake and instability spell. The Slayer landed a roundhouse kick on both of the vampires standing in front of her. Willow murmured a spell that caused the driver of the car, who'd been getting out of the vehicle, to fall on the ground. With a quick movement, she brought the stake down, only to have him seize her hand.

Meanwhile, Buffy dusted one vampire and managed to get astride the other one. The vamp managed to hit her in the face hard.

"Buffy!" Angel yelled as he came running onto the scene.

"I'm fine!"Buffy yelled. "Help Willow!"

Willow had managed to keep him from getting up but was stopped from staking him, by the vamp blocking it with his other hand. She simply didn't have enough strength to push it through without using another spell that might attract Buffy's attention. Besides which, she wanted to use the smallest amount of magic possible. Angel came up behind her and brought his foot down on top of the stake, forcing the piece of wood through the vampire's hand and chest.

"Are you all right?" Angel asked, reaching out to pull her to her feet.

"Yep, thanks to you." She brushed the dust off herself as she stood up.

"No problem." His eyes focused on Buffy who just staked her vampire. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Buffy said. "I'm just worried about Giles. Angel, can you see that the hospital gets this shipment and make sure Wills gets home? I need to check on him."

Angel was clearly disappointed but tried valiantly not to let it show. He'd clearly hoped to get in some slaying and some smoochie time this evening. "Are you sure he's in trouble? He could have forgot or..." he trailed off as he noticed her look. "You're right. He isn't the type to do that. Let me know if you need help."

"I will. See you later, Wills!" Buffy called as she ran off in the opposite direction.

"Angel, you don't have to babysit me. I can get home by myself," Willow offered. She couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"Yes, but you'd be much safer if you were with me. I'll be right back, I'm just going to set this," he said, picking up the cooler of blood. "On the nurse's station."

"Okay," Willow said. She couldn't believe her luck. Hopefully, she'd be able to put operation, "Shag Not", as she'd dubbed it into action. She needed to put some distance between Buffy and Angel. Willow did have a healthy dose of guilt over the matter but it paled in comparison to the death of Miss Calendar, Angel's stay in hell, Buffy's MIA summer, and her descent into magical madness. It was a chain of events that needed to be stopped. And if it made Angel and Buffy sad in the short term, she would gladly risk it in order to not have the pain they would cause each other in the future. As well as all the pain that would ensue from all the other events.

Angel reappeared from the automatic doors. "Let's get you home." It was incongruous to see someone as dark and mysterious as Angel to appear from a clean, white, sterile space. The two just didn't belong together. Maybe that's why Angel and Buffy were doomed from the beginning. They were very literally light and dark or yin and yang.

Willow walked alongside the enigmatic vampire. As usual, Angel was as silent as the metaphorical grave. She realized that she didn't know that much about him at all. Anything she'd learned had been through Buffy or through reading the Watcher's diaries which all focused on Angelus.

"So, how was your day today?" Willow asked as they walked beside each other on the sidewalk. "Oh, well, this is your day because you're a vampire and go out at night."

The corner of his mouth lifted up in the ghost of a smile. "I've had worse days."

"Um, that's good. And thanks for killing that vampire. I need to get more fighty. I mean, I live on the Hellmouth! I should know some basic self defense."

"Have you asked Rupert to show you?" Angel asked curiously.

She remembered back. "Yeah, but his schedule is a little full with Slayer training, being a librarian, and demon research. Plus, he's dating Miss Calendar."

"What about Buffy?"

"Well, no, she's not dating Giles," Willow joked, hoping to break the ice. It was unnerving to talk to Angel. He was so monosyllabic. Of course, she was used to Oz doing that but with him it was more contemplative. Angel's was just a dead end. She had no idea what he was thinking.

Angel couldn't help but laugh. It was a precious gift to a vampire who'd had little mirth in the century. He had no idea Willow could be funny. "I meant that Buffy could train you."

Willow remembered once incident in the nearby park that had happened just after Buffy had gotten back from the summer. "We already tried that but she almost broke my arm. She wasn't even trying to but she's used to pummeling Giles when he's covered in protective padding or big demons with superpowers. She's likely to put me in the hospital."

"Well, maybe I could show you a few moves," Angel offered. He knew that Buffy would be pleased that he was showing an interest and he genuinely liked Willow. Now, if Xander had asked him....well, maybe pummeling be so bad after all. "I'm able to control my strength so I won't hurt you." Of course, he didn't tell her those skills had ben honed while trying to keep victims alive longer in order to prolong his enjoyment.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked. It had been an idol thought but she knew that she would be leaving herself vulnerable without the aid of witchcraft. Maybe a few pointers wouldn't hurt.

Angel nodded, stopping beside her. "We could start now, if you like."

"Okay." Willow faced him. This wasn't how she envisioned starting her plan with Angel but it was a something at least.

"Why don't you walk ahead of me and I'll spring out at you."

Willow's brows drew together, not liking the sound of that. "Woah. Using a ski analogy, I'm on the bunny hill, not the big bad mountain."

"I just need to see what your fighting instincts are and I'll tailor what I teach you to play on your strengths," he explained. "Besides, aren't you one of those modern women just brimming with girl power?" he teased.

"Yeah, I'm full of powerful goodness." She supposed his idea made sense. "Of course, I can do this. Just stalk away, then."

It was unsettling how easily he melted away into the shadows. Not that she was afraid of Angel himself but just the idea that someone was going to spring on her was scary. "I'm a girl and hear me roar," she said quietly. "It's not like the Spice Girls put stalker evasion in their music video choreography."

Willow bit her lip as she walked as quickly as possible. She could feel Angel there in the night beside her, just beyond the moonlight's reach. She walked faster, hurriedly scanning the trees nearby. It was ridiculous but she could feel her heart beginning to pound harder.

That's when he pounced.

Angel knocked the wind out of her as he hit her from the side and sent her down to the pavement. They landed in a pile of arms and legs. Angel had absorbed most of the impact on the leg he'd thrown under hers. Willow and Angel fought a battle of wills then. He fought to get a hold of her upper arms, and she sought to get loose from him. He seized her small wrists in one of his hands, noticing how delicate they were. He made sure to not bruise her. Then, Angel bared her neck easily.

Willow flailed against him but he was no match for his superior strength. Thinking quickly, she went slack in his arms, which urged the demon within him to bring this mouth to her neck.

Angel was intoxicated by the sight of her creamy white skin. Before he could stop himself, his tongue swept out to slide along the vein in her neck. He could feel her blood just below the surface. It was sweet smelling...virgin's blood. He'd never allowed himself to get this close to temptation since he'd gotten his soul for a good reason.

Willow's eyes widened. Angel had just licked her? What the...?

Angel's tongue continued tracing a trail down her throat. He ached to let his fangs drop and puncture that frail skin. With supreme effort, he reigned his lust in and pulled away from his throat.

While he was distracted, she brought her leg up hard, nearly kneeing him in the groin.

This caused Angel to drop her wrists and instead seize her shoulders. This permitted her to have enough leverage to throw him onto his back. She scrambled to her feet, murmured the swift foot spell and went running. She'd gone several yards before Angel called her back.

"Willow! Wait! I'm sorry about–"

Willow stopped and bent over at the waist, breathing hard as she braced her hands on her knees. "What? Copping a taste?" She said, pausing to look up at him with an arched brow.

Angel sheepishly lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I don't usually--"

She stood up. "Lick people? That's good to know." Willow wasn't all that worried. It did make sense. Angel was a vampire and obviously necks pulsing with blood were a big distraction. It was like offering chocolate to chocolate addict. "It's fine, Angel. I get it. Don't worry about it." She was more concerned about the frission of awareness that went through her at his actions. She'd thought her days of responding that way to men were long gone.

He glanced up. "You did very well. By the way, do you run track? Because you really run fast.."

"Um, no, just recreational...you know demon chasage. You always gotta be ready to bolt."

"Maybe we'll stick to showing you evasive maneuvers so that you can get away from attackers. And some battle strategy...you'd be a good person to plan an attack. You were able to anticipate a couple of my moves."

"Thanks," Willow said, proudly as she fell into step beside Angel. They resumed their walk to her house. Angel was eerily silent, probably brooding about the incident. "And I won't tell Buffy that you have some kind of neck fetish," she added impishly.

"I'm a vampire. Of course I have a neck fetish," Angel answered honestly. "We're programmed that way."

"So, does that mean you're an indiscriminate neck licker? Should I warn Xander to where turtle necks?"

"I bet his neck is dirty," Angel mused. "Yours smelled nice and was very clean."

"Well, I bathe," Willow said, laughter sparkling in her eyes. "I even wash behind my ears. And sometimes, I put lotion on."

Angel couldn't remember having this much fun in a long while. Who knew Buffy's friend could be so enjoyable? He'd never met anyone quite like her. She didn't judge him for his unwanted bloodlust. In fact, she joked about it. "Are you trying to turn me on? Tooth tease."

Willow's eyes rounded at the sexual innuendo in the sentence. Angel looked abashed about saying that when he saw her look. Quickly, she put on an innocent expression. "Whatever, neck licker. Let's get me home."

What's next, gentle readers? I feel so Andrew-ish now! :) We'll be exploring the Angel/Willow relationship more fully. And Spike will make an appearance. I expect Willow will change the time line more than she bargains for. What will Xander think about Willow seeing so much of Angel when he realizes she's lost her hero worship of him? As far as other ships, I'm toying with Oz/Buffy.

To give feedback is sublime. Send to 


	3. chapter 3

**Title:Past Imperfect **

**Pairing: Willow/Angel, Willow/Angelus**

**Rating:** R (for now)

**Setting:** Post S6 BtVS, post S4 AtS.

**Description:** Willow decided to right some of her wrongs by doing a time travel spell. Problem is, altering time is a tricky business and not everything goes according to plan.

**Notice:**It all belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy. No profit here.

**Thank You's: **

Cheezyenchilda– Thank you! Yes, I will probably finish it.

Afanficcritic – Thank you so much! Hope you like this portion

Angelus – We'll see Kendra, too!

Prefers to stay anonymous – Yep, Ethan is here

kittyminky – Glad you are loving the Buffy bloodlust. I was on a recent kick for the first two seasons myself...they are very interesting!

Susi– By all means! Post away! Thanks!

Angel S – I never liked the way he forgot about Willow either. Xander will be doing a little paying!

Em– Yes, I wrote Experience...thanks! I'm glad you like the Angel/Willow stuff

DragonLady – Thank you!

Marianne – Thank you! I'm glad the dialogue sounds authentic. I'm all about the Willow/Spike/Angel fics. My favorite is Carrie's It's about Time.

Brandy – Behold the mojo!

Angelask– Thanks! I'm a big banter fan

Gabrielle – I'm glad you like the interfering but not interfering aspect...she's playing hopscotch with a really thin line.

Gray – Thank you! I couldn't resist the neck licker stuff.

Sandi – perfect sense. She thinks she's not changing too much but...

Willow was having a hard time concentrating. Ethan Rayne had unsettled her earlier. Buffy had caught him in the library and they'd questioned him. He'd stared at her as if he knew she didn't belong in this time and place...or as if he knew something about her. She hoped he wouldn't share that information with anyone else. Especially Giles. She knew that he would give her a tongue lashing before he marched her straight over to the black magic books and make her transport herself home.

She was also having trouble with Xander and Cordelia. Willow could cut the unresolved sexual tension with a knife. The library practically vibrated with it. And it was making a tense situation even more difficult than it already was.

"Cordelia! Xander!"

Both of them were still in each other's face, bickering about nothing of importance. As disturbing as it sounded, the entire show was merely a prelude to the sexcapades. Willow would never understand the attraction Cordelia held for Xander. Other than her pretty face and nice figure...what did she had to offer? Sure, later on she became a good person with the visions and what not. But now? Not so much. She'd gotten marginally nicer but she was still the Queen Bee of Sunnydale High and she rarely used her powers for good. She would never know why Xander preferred Cordelia over her.

Willow was trying to pretend like she was researching and pondering their situation. It was extremely frustrating and more than a little pointless. She already knew the solution but she couldn't just blurt it out so easily. Miss Calender had been infected with the essence of the demon Eyghon who could only enter a human host when they were unconscious or dead. The only way to get rid of the demon was to kill the person he was inhabiting. Or make it jump into a vampire with a soul who had a snarly demon inside who would easily dispatch Eyghon.

After her patience had been tested far too much, she had to do something. "HEY!" Willow shrieked, her eyes becoming a little darker. Thankfully, they didn't notice it in the shadowy library.

They both stopped and looked at her wide-eyed.

"I've had enough of you two! Get a room already, okay?" Willow said with exasperation. Then, she clapped her hands over her mouth. Oops! Youthful Willow was still completely in the dark about these two. Willow had to give it up to Michael J. Fox. He really made it look easy. Luckily, they didn't seem to notice her time travel faux pas.

Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "As if! He should be so lucky as to–"

While, simultaneously, Xander denied the charges as well. "I would never. ..she's so–"

Methinks they protest too much! Willow rolled her eyes. "All right. Whatever. What we need to do is find Angel."

Xander stared at her. "You're gonna make Angel kill Miss Calender?"

Willow was aghast. "No! Of course not! I would never do that. I-"

"Geez, Wills. Chill a bit, okay? We all know dead boy is off the sauce. He's strictly a demon killer these days."

Willow blew out a breath. It was ironic in a sick way. She was going to have Angel choke Miss Calender nearly to death. He would soon wrap his hands around her neck again. Not to save her life...but to take it. Let's just go."

Willow and Xander filed out the door with Cordelia right behind them. "You don't have to come, Cordelia," he shot over his shoulder. "Why don't you paint your nails or something?"

"Are you crazy? I don't do that myself. Besides, I wanna see where Angel lives."

They both stopped and stared at her.

"What? I know he's a vamp. He's still a honey and I bet he's got a nice place. I mean, he doesn't have a coffin, right? They don't actually have coffins, do they?"

Xander made a retching nose. "What is it with you girls? He's dead, Jim. No shirt. No pulse. And it should be no service!"

Cordelia laughed. "Yes, Xander, in my eyes even a dead guy is preferable to you."

Willow made a coughing noise that sounded suspiciously like "yeah right".

"Make me a promise, Wills. You won't fall for him, right?" Xander asked, turning to her with pleading eyes.

"I'll try not to," Willow promised with a roll of her eyes. She saw Xander in a new and not-so-flattering light. Willow chalked it up to teenage boy sickness. When Xander had Cordelia, he wanted Buffy. Then, he briefly wanted his red haired best friend. But soon gave her up for the briefest of encounters with Faith. Then, he was with Anya but still pined for Buffy in a much more downplayed way. Willow suspected that he would always want what he didn't have. Typical man. She was beginning to see why she'd defected to the other side, so to speak. Her only experiences were with Xander who was too busy looking for other prospects and Oz who cheated on his girlfriend with some wolf chick. Oz had even thrown her Xander fluke back in her face. However, she'd never slept with Xander and it had been a life long love she had for him. She doubted Oz even knew Veruca's middle name. No wonder she'd become a lesbian.

Several blocks later, they found Angel in his apartment near the Bronze. He answered the door wearing only a pair of black trousers and the medallion he always wore. Cordelia sucked in a deep breath. Even Willow sneaked a peek. He was a very handsome man and his body...well, no wonder Buffy didn't stand a chance.

"You know, I didn't really mean the no shirt thing," Xander asserted, averting his eyes. "Now, is not the time to be topless, dead boy."

Angel glared at the boy briefly but turned his attention to Willow. "Is something wrong with Buffy?"

She pulled herself together and focused on his eyes."Yes, I think so. She's fighting a demon named Eyghon and he's in Miss Calendar's body. And...um...I'm worried Buffy might be in trouble."

Xander and Cordelia shot her look.

"She hasn't checked in a while. You gotta stop him, Angel."

Angel was already putting on his shirt and grabbing his coat before she finished her sentence. All he needed to know was that Buffy was in danger. "How do I kill this thing?"

"You're going to have put the demon in jeopardy so he'll leave her body. He's a body snatcher."

"Only he likes 'em dead or unconscious," Xander put in. His brow furrowed. "He's kinda like a necrophiliac, huh?" His face twisted. "Ugh! Giles was involved with a–"

"I've got the picture!" Angel said tersely as he ushered them down the stairs and out of the building. They all walked at a brisk pace. Angel and Willow led the group with Cordelia and Xander arguing behind them.

"Are they always like this?" Angel inquired, throwing a look over his shoulder.

"Welcome to my world."

"Is Buffy all right?"

She flashed him a confident smile. "I'm certain of it."

Angel relaxed a little bit. He instinctively knew that Willow was someone who could be trusted. Given the fact that she extremely perceptive and had full knowledge of the situation, he knew that everything would turn out all right. He looked over at Willow who somehow appeared much more confident than the shy little girl he'd come to...well, not know...but see.

"So, Willow, what are you doing afterwards?" Angel asked.

"What?"

"I thought maybe we could practice some more," Angel said, thinking he wouldn't mind some more time spent with her.

"Um, maybe," Willow said, her mind still on the problem. She privately knew that Angel wouldn't be in any sort of shape for that.

After it was over, Willow watched as Giles escorted Jenny out of the door. BCordelia and Xander were in the midst of another heated argument as they tried to outrun each other back to the library. Buffy and Angel were starting for the door. They were looking at each other with schmoopy eyes. It was very romantic and she needed to nip it in the bud.

"Um, Buffy? Can you walk me home, too?"

Buffy blinked as she looked over at her. "Why don't you catch up to Xander and Cordelia, Wills? I'm gonna stay with Angel til I know he's okay."

"Buffy, I'm fine–" Angel began groggily.

"All right," Willow lied, watching the two of them with a benevolent pity. They walked out together, arms wrapped around each other. It wouldn't hurt to let them have another night in blissful ignorance.

Willow pushed a hand through her hair. She blew out a breath as she leaned against the corner in Ethan's abandoned costume shop. She looked into the opaque surface of an antique mirror on the counter. Her face was indeed that of the young, innocent Willow but her eyes held a great deal of knowledge. And pain.

The surface of the mirror was replaced by a familiar face. She backed away. "Ethan!"

"Hello, love."

She looked around the room. "I thought you skulked out of here."

"I did. This is merely a parlor trick...mirror to mirror communication. Long distance isn't cheap, you know."

Willow had heard about those spells but never tried one. It was a little beneath her. "What did you want?"

"Just to tell you that I know your secret."

"Oh?" Willow said, looking down. "And what's that?"

"You're not from this time, girl. Any fool can see it. And when Ripper isn't so preoccupied with his lady love, he'll figure it out, too."

"I don't know what your talking about," Willow lied.

He smirked. "Fine, play your little games but we both know that I'm right. Don't you know that playing with time can royally muck things up?"

"Excuse me? You're gonna give me a talk on bad magic? Mr.Chaos Worshiper? I don't think so!" In a little fit of anger, Willow threw the mirror, smashing it to bits. She pushed open the door and tore down the street.

As she rounded the corner, Spike emerged from the shadows and into the frail light given off by a lamppost. He blew out a stream of tobacco smoke which curled around her like ghostly tentacles. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

"Oh, hello, Spike," Willow said in recognition before she remembered where she was and most importantly _when _she was. This wasn't the chipped, Slayer-obsessed version that guarded Dawn and helped the Scooby gang. No, this was the dangerous one who was currently looking to kill her best friend, not sleep with her. As Xander would say...monkey poop!

Spike cocked his head to the side, his eyes sharp. He was every inch the feral predator. "You're the Slayer's little friend, aren't you?"

Willow had intended to get out of this predicament with a simple swiftness spell that would put her out of Spike's reach but her pride had been pricked. _The Slayer's little friend? _Willow didn't like being dismissed as a threat. Nor, did she like lectures from over-the-hill sorcerers. And not too long ago she had fought Buffy and had wiped the floor with her. She was clearly, not the sidekick in this situation. Maybe Spike needed a lesson in respect.

"What's wrong? Too afraid to even speak?" Spike gloated. This was a piece of luck. He'd been out for a snack and a smoke and here he was with the means of sending the Slayer a little message.

"I wouldn't say that," Willow said quietly, staring at him.

Spike frowned. He wasn't getting even a little bit of fear off of her. If anything, she radiated confidence. It was one thing to take this kind of thing from a Slayer, but a little girl? Spike reached out and grabbed for her throat and...was instantly hit with a jolt of electricity.

Willow's lips twitched as the big bad bounced off the pavement and landed face down in a puddle of motor oil on the street. "I didn't say you could touch me."

Spike swiped at his face, leaving a black trail down his cheek. His eyes were murderous. "What in the hell?"

"Goodnight, Spike," she said, deliberately turning her back on him and walking home at a slow pace.

Spike didn't follow. Instead, he watched her retreating form with a mixture of awe and anger. "Bloody hell!"


End file.
